Skip to content
Rotating Banner

Moria

The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review

  • Home
  • All Titles – A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
  • Film Themes
  • Annual Best and Worst Lists
  • Directors
  • Actors

Theme: Old Dark House Thrillers


During the 1920s, the stage developed its own genre of thriller/comedies that took place in large gloomy old mansions. These were soon adapted onto film beginning in the mid-1920s. The genre peaked in the 1930s and 40s but died away after that apart from occasional stragglers.

The plots of these would usually centre a diverse group of relatives or interested parties; an innocent heroine; a criminal usually known as some type of animal; a gloomy old mansion as setting; and a balance of comedy and thrills (although some of the films are pure thrillers and feature no comedy, while later efforts of the 1930s/40s emphasise more of the comedy). Supernatural elements do appear but these are always revealed to be mundane in nature with absurdly contrived end explanations.


Arnold (1973)

21 October 202024 October 2020

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Comedy-Thriller

Director: Georg Fenady
Actors: Stella Stevens, Roddy McDowall, Elsa Lanchester, Farley Granger, …
Category: Horror

The Bat (1926)

16 November 201614 October 2022

Rating: ★★★★

Old Dark House Thriller/Silent Movie

Director: Roland West
Actors: Emily Fitzroy, Louise Fazenda, Tullio Carminadi, Eddie Gribbon, …
Category: Horror

The Bat (1959)

21 January 201030 October 2019

Rating: ★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Crane Wilbur
Actors: Agnes Moorehead, Vincent Price, Lenitra Lane, Gavin Gordon, …
Category: Horror

The Bat Whispers (1930)

1 February 200124 June 2022

Rating: ★★★★

Old Dark House Comedy-Thriller

Director: Roland West
Actors: Chester Morris, Una Merkel, Maude Eburne, Gustav von Seyffertitz, …
Category: Horror

Castle of Evil (1966)

10 June 20133 February 2025

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House/Killer Robot

Director: Francis D. Lyon
Actors: Scott Brady, Shelley Morrison, Virginia Mayo, David Brian, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Cat and the Canary (1927)

9 November 200226 October 2022

Rating: ★★★★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Paul Leni
Actors: Laura La Plante, Creighton Hale, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Lucien Littlefield, …
Category: Horror

The Cat and the Canary (1939)

11 July 201124 May 2023

Rating: ★★★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: Elliott Nugent
Actors: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, George Zucco, Gale Sondergaard, …
Category: Horror

The Cat and the Canary (1978)

27 December 200725 March 2020

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Radley Metzger
Actors: Carol Lynley, Olivia Hussey, Edward Fox, Honor Blackman, …
Category: Horror

The Cat Creeps (1946)

22 December 202222 December 2022

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Erle C. Kenton
Actors: Noah Beery Jr, Lois Collier, Douglas Dumbrille, Rose Hobart, …
Category: Horror

Dark and Stormy Night (2009)

13 June 201310 November 2024

Rating: ★★★

Old Dark House Parody

Director: Larry Blamire
Actors: Daniel Roebuck, Jennifer Blaire, Dan Conroy, Brian Howe, …
Category: Horror

Dark Places (1973)

6 June 20176 December 2024

Rating: ★★

Psycho-Thriller

Director: Don Sharp
Actors: Robert Hardy, Joan Collins, Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, …
Category: Horror

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

27 June 20174 April 2023

Rating: ★★

Haunted House Comedy

Director: Alan Rafkin
Actors: Don Knotts, Joan Staley, Liam Redmond, Dick Sargent, …
Category: Horror

The Ghost Breakers (1940)

21 November 201320 September 2021

Rating: ★★★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: George Marshall
Actors: Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, Willie Best, Paul Lukas, …
Category: Horror

Ghosts on the Loose (1943)

8 April 200125 November 2024

Rating: ★

Idiots in a Sinister House

Director: William Beaudine
Actors: Bela Lugosi, Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Rick Vallin, …
Category: Horror

The Ghoul (1933)

20 March 20132 September 2022

Rating: ★★½

Resurrection/Old Dark House Thriller

Director: T. Hayes Hunter
Actors: Boris Karloff, Ernest Thesiger, Cedric Hardwicke, Kathleen Harrison, …
Category: Horror

The Gorilla (1939)

15 July 20119 December 2024

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Comedy-Thriller

Director: Allan Dwan
Actors: Harry Ritz, Al Ritz, Jimmy Ritz, Lionel Atwill, …
Category: Horror

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

11 January 20032 December 2022

Rating: 0­

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: Gene Wilder
Actors: Gene Wilder, Dom de Luise, Gilda Radner, Jonathan Pryce, …
Category: Horror

The Haunted House of Horror (1969)

8 July 20052 July 2021

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Michael Armstrong
Actors: Frankie Avalon, Richard O'Sullivan, Jill Haworth, Julian Barnes, …
Category: Horror

Hell Night (1981)

25 January 20036 July 2021

Rating: ★★

Slasher/Old Dark House

Director: Tom De Simone
Actors: Linda Blair, Vincent Van Patten, Peter Barton, Kevin Brophy, …
Category: Horror

Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967)

5 January 201412 February 2020

Rating: 0­

Country and Western Singers in a Haunted House Comedy

Director: Jean Yarbrough
Actors: Lon Chaney Jr, John Carradine, Basil Rathbone, Joi Lansing, …
Category: Horror

Hold That Ghost (1941)

15 July 200023 July 2021

Rating: ★★

Two Idiots in a Haunted House

Director: Arthur Lubin
Actors: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Richard Carlson, Evelyn Ankers, …
Category: Horror

The Horror of It All (1964)

19 July 200224 March 2020

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: Terence Fisher
Actors: Pat Boone, Dennis Price, Valentine Dyall, Andree Melly
Category: Horror

The House in Nightmare Park (1973)

2 February 200321 October 2020

Rating: ★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: Peter Sykes
Actors: Frankie Howerd, Ray Milland, Hugh Burden, Kenneth Griffith, …
Category: Horror

House of Evil (1971)

30 January 202027 December 2023

Rating: ½

Murders in a Sinister Old Mansion/Evil Toys

Director: Jack Hill, Juan IbaƱez
Actors: Boris Karloff, Julissa, Andres Garcia, Angel Espinoza, …
Category: Horror

House of the Long Shadows (1983)

12 April 200312 December 2024

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Pete Walker
Actors: Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, John Carradine, …
Category: Horror

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

18 November 200017 June 2021

Rating: ★★★

Haunted House

Director: William Castle
Actors: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Elisha Cook Jr, Richard Long, …
Category: Horror

The House on Skull Mountain (1974)

19 July 201013 December 2024

Rating: ★★★

Blaxploitation/Voodoo Killings

Director: Ron Honthaner
Actors: Victor French, Janee Michelle, Jean Durand
Category: Horror

The Last Warning (1929)

9 January 201931 January 2021

Rating: ★★★

Killer Stalks a Broadway Theatre

Director: Paul Leni
Actors: Laura La Plante, Montagu Love, Roy D'Arcy, John Boles, …
Category: Horror

The Monster Walks (1932)

26 October 202226 October 2022

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Frank Strayer
Actors: Rex Lease, Sheldon Lewis, Mischa Auer, Martha Mattox, …
Category: Horror

The Murder Mansion (1972)

21 December 2022

Rating: ★½

Sinister Happenings at a Mansion

Director: Francisco Lara Polop
Actors: Analia Gade, Alberto Dalbes, Andres Resina, Franco Fantasia, …
Category: Horror

Night Monster (1942)

12 May 20216 March 2023

Rating: ★★★

Murder Mystery/Lurking Monster

Director: Ford Beebe
Actors: Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Leif Erickson, Ralph Morgan, …
Category: Horror

The Old Dark House (1932)

30 January 200521 June 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Old Dark House Comedy-Thriller

Director: James Whale
Actors: Ernest Thesiger, Melvyn Douglas, Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton, …
Category: Horror

The Old Dark House (1963)

27 June 201721 June 2021

Rating: ★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: William Castle
Actors: Tom Poston, Robert Morley, Janette Scott, Fenella Fielding, …
Category: Horror

Scared Stiff (1953)

31 May 201020 September 2021

Rating: ★★½

Haunted House Comedy

Director: George Marshall
Actors: Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, George Dolenz, Carmen Miranda, …
Category: Horror

Scared to Death (1947)

19 June 20016 March 2023

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House/Sinister Hypnotist

Director: Christy Cabanne
Actors: Bela Lugosi, George Zucco, Nat Pendleton, Douglas Fowley, …
Category: Horror

Seven Footprints to Satan (1929)

18 March 201329 November 2024

Rating: ★★★½

Old Dark House Thriller

Director: Benjamin Christensen
Actors: Creighton Hale, Thelma Todd, Angelo Rossitto, Sheldon Lewis
Category: Horror

Spooks Run Wild (1941)

8 August 201325 November 2024

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: Phil Rosen
Actors: Leo Gorcey, Bela Lugosi, Sunshine Sammy Morrison, Huntz Hall, …
Category: Horror

Topper Returns (1941)

11 September 20135 May 2025

Rating: ★★★

Ghost Screwball Comedy

Director: Roy Del Ruth
Actors: Roland Young, Joan Blondell, Carole Landis, Billie Burke, …
Category: Fantasy

Who Killed Doc Robbin (1948)

18 September 20149 June 2025

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: Bernard Carr
Actors: Virginia Grey, George Zucco
Category: Horror

You’ll Find Out (1940)

29 March 200825 August 2021

Rating: ★★

Old Dark House Comedy

Director: David Butler
Actors: Kay Kyser, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre, …
Category: Horror

Recent Posts

  • The Loch Ness Horror (2023)
  • Planetquake (2024)
  • Earthtastrophe (2016)
  • It Lives Inside (2023)
  • Subservience (2024)
  • Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
  • The Assessment (2024)
  • The Mighty Gorga (1969)
  • Empire of the Apes (2013)
  • The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead (1991)
  • Swarmed (2005)
  • Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977)
  • Incantation (2022)
  • Dick Dynamite: 1944 (2023)
  • The Shrouds (2024)
  • Clown in a Cornfield (2025)
  • Incoming (2018)
  • Box: Metaphor (2023)
  • The House That Vanished (1973)
  • Skinwalker Ranch (2013)
  • A Werewolf in England (2020)
  • Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024)
  • Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
  • Until Dawn (2025)
  • Alpha Girls (2013)

Contact Moria

  • Send Email
  • Facebook Follow Moria on Facebook

Theme Essays

  • Films About Atlantis
  • Werewolf Films
  • Virtual Reality
  • Imprisonment Thrillers
  • Films Depicting NASA and the Space Program
  • Human Bloodsports and Death Games
  • Animals Attack Films
  • Films About Plague and Pandemic
  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
  • Secret Societies
  • Real-Life People in Fiction
  • Techno-Thrillers
  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
  • Asylums
  • Possession Films
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being True Stories
  • Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Cryogenics and Suspended Animation
  • Alternate History Films
  • Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film
  • Law Enforcement in Fantastic Cinema
  • Weird Westerns
∧

Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2025

Jump to top Moria